Sydney’s urban skyline can now boast a world-first in advertising - a 100 percent solar-powered billboard.
Only in New York’s Times Square or London can other versions of the Ricoh Co. Ltd. “eco billboard” be viewed.
The Japanese company says as part of its commitment to spreading environmental awareness, the billboard is not connected to mains grid power and will not light up if there is insufficient sunlight to charge the sign’s batteries.
“Rather than merely using this billboard to promote our company name, Ricoh sees it as a way of communicating our environmental and sustainability values to a wide public audience. We wish to demonstrate by example Ricoh’s deep commitment to environmental conservation,” said Kazunori Azuma, General Manager of Ricoh Global Marketing Group.
NSW Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard, flipped the switch on the solar-powered billboard, which is positioned on three sides at the top of 132 Alfred Street, North Sydney.
Ricoh says it partnered with a local supplier to develop and install the first-of-its-kind eco-sign. Measuring 17.1 metres high by 19.5 metres wide, the billboard’s only source of power comes from 96 solar panels that store power in 48 deep cycle batteries.
The company says it expects that during the summer, when solar exposure is at its peak, energy output will amount to 134,400 watt hours – enough power to light up the sign for eight hours and avoid around 17 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Due to lower sun exposure, both the Times Square and London Ricoh billboards double up on renewable energy technology, with wind turbines supplementing power loads.
